1. Neuromuscular assessment of force development, postural, and gait performance under cognitive-motor dual-tasking in healthy older adults and early Parkinson's disease patients : study protocol for a cross-sectional Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI) studyUroš Marušič, Manca Peskar, Maja Maša Šömen, Miloš Kalc, Aleš Holobar, Klaus Gramann, Bettina Wollesen, Anna Wunderlich, Christoph M. Michel, Aleksandar Miladinović, Mauro Catalan, Alex B. Stella, Miloš Ajčević, Paolo Manganotti, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: Background: Neuromuscular dysfunction is common in older adults and more pronounced in neurodegenerative diseases. In Parkinson's disease (PD), a complex set of factors often prevents the effective performance of activities of daily living that require intact and simultaneous performance of the motor and cognitive tasks. Methods: The cross-sectional study includes a multifactorial mixed-measure design. Between-subject factor grouping the sample will be Parkinson’s Disease (early PD vs. healthy). The within-subject factors will be the task complexity (single- vs. dual-task) in each motor activity, i.e., overground walking, semi-tandem stance, and isometric knee extension, and a walking condition (wide vs. narrow lane) will be implemented for the overground walking activity only. To study dual-task (DT) effects, in each motor activity participants will be given a secondary cognitive task, i.e., a visual discrimination task for the overground walking, an attention task for the semi-tandem, and mental arithmetic for the isometric extension. Analyses of DT effects and underlying neuronal correlates will focus on both gait and cognitive performance where applicable. Based on an a priori sample size calculation, a total N = 42 older adults (55-75 years) will be recruited. Disease-specific changes such as laterality in motor unit behavior and cortical control of movement will be studied with high-density surface electromyography and electroencephalography during static and dynamic motor activities, together with whole-body kinematics. Discussion: This study will be one of the first to holistically address early PD neurophysiological and neuromuscular patterns in an ecologically valid environment under cognitive-motor DT conditions of different complexities. The outcomes of the study aim to identify the biomarker for early PD either at the electrophysiological, muscular or kinematic level or in the communication between these systems.
Keywords: Parkinson's disease, mobile brain imaging, body brain imaging, MoBi, dual tasking, neuromuscular function, older adults
Published in DiRROS: 15.09.2023; Views: 346; Downloads: 152
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2. Brain dynamics underlying preserved cycling ability in patients with Parkinson’s disease and freezing of gaitTeja Ličen, Martin Rakuša, Nicolaas I. Bohnen, Paolo Manganotti, Uroš Marušič, 2022, review article Abstract: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is generally associated with abnormally increased beta band oscillations in the cortico-basal ganglia loop during walking. PD patients with freezing of gait (FOG) exhibit a more distinct, prolonged narrow band of beta oscillations that are locked to the initiation of movement at ∼18 Hz. Upon initiation of cycling movements, this oscillation has been reported to be weaker and rather brief in duration. Due to the suppression of the overall beta band power during cycling and its continuous nature of the movement, cycling is considered to be less demanding for cortical networks compared to walking, including reduced need for sensorimotor processing, and thus unimpaired continuous cycling motion. Furthermore, cycling has been considered one of the most efficient non-pharmacological therapies with an influence on the subthalamic nucleus (STN) beta rhythms implicative of the deep brain stimulation effects. In the current review, we provide an overview of the currently available studies and discuss the underlying mechanism of preserved cycling ability in relation to the FOG in PD patients. The mechanisms are presented in detail using a graphical scheme comparing cortical oscillations during walking and cycling in PD.
Keywords: gait, freezing of gait, Parkinson's disease, cycling, cortical oscillations, beta band
Published in DiRROS: 21.06.2022; Views: 553; Downloads: 442
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